The present invention relates to a dispenser for rolls of toilet tissue, and in particular to such a dispenser which simultaneously houses a primary tissue roll and a remnant tissue roll or stub roll.
Toilet tissue dispensers are known which dispense rolls of toilet tissue, such as oversized or jumbo rolls for example. Dispensers of this nature are commonly provided in commercial establishments in order to minimize the frequency of roll replacement. Although the replacement interval is extended, there remains the problem of how to best utilize a substantially spent roll, commonly referred to as a stub or remnant roll, in order to minimize waste.
It has been previously proposed, for example, to provide the dispenser with an auxiliary spindle outside of the main housing onto which the stub roll can be placed (see Schultz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,832). The auxiliary spindle is disposed parallel with the main spindle and spaced horizontally therefrom, whereby the stub roll is uncovered. A bar extends from the main housing to a front end of the auxiliary spindle to prevent the stub roll from being removed unless the main housing has been unlocked and opened.
Such an arrangement suffers from certain drawbacks. For example, the exposed stub roll is not covered by the housing and is susceptible to possible contamination. Also, since the auxiliary spindle is spaced to one side of the main housing, a certain amount of mounting versatility is sacrificed. That is, the dispenser is not useful unless the auxiliary spindle extends toward the user's station; otherwise, the stub roll would be too remote to be conveniently reached. Therefore, it would be necessary to modify the dispenser in order to adapt it for use with stations disposed to both sides of the dispenser.